Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-09-22
Signs of the Times.

ing Register, published in the city
where President CLEVELAND was re-
Gently insulted by certain members OF
one or moro of the Grand Army posts
then on parade in that city, has had
the independence TO furnish its readers
with picture of the scene. This pc
ture occupies about one fourth of one
of the Registers large pages 1t IS
certainly large enough to attract the
attention of all who see a copy of the
issue which contains it.
This is good sign. 1t shows that the
appearance of thousands of members
Of the Grand Army posts in the city OF
Wheeling has not alarmed the good
people of West Virginia, nor intimi-
dated them to any extent They know
that the act Of those members OF the
Grand Army posts who turned aside
from the route of the procession IN
order to avoid passing under flag upon
which was likeness Of the President
of the United States was totally unjus-
tifable. 1t was more as it was a gross
slight to the highest executive and
military officer in the land-the com
mander-in. chief of the army and
navy-it was unpatriotic. Forthe peo-
ple of the United States are response
bic for the fact that GROVER CLEVELAND
is their President.
What has General MALONE to say in
regard to this matter? Does he, who
was n Confederate general, approve OF
Governor FoBAKEh's outrageously in
sulting references in his public speeches
TO the "rebel flag? Has the General
forgotten that be has never apOlOSized
to the people of Virginia for inviting
this northern fire.eater and bloody
shirt waver to come to Virginia two
years ago to teach them that 1t was
Their duty tovote the Republican ticket ?
This same FORAKER is now candidate
for reelection to the Office of Cover
nor Of Ohio. and in all his speeches
upon the stump takes occasion to refer
in some way to the fact that he not
long AGO notified the President OF the
United States that no "rebel flags ;
would be returned from Ohio whilst he
YVES Governor. This was piece Of
cheap demagogism; because FORAKER
well knew when he put forth that
sinister appeal to the passions and
preiudices born of war that the Presi-
dent had no intention OF returning
apy other "robel flags" than those
which were rotting in Washington.
How can any true Nirginlan find it
in his heart 20 fraternize with party
which bases its hopes of success in the
presidential election OF next year upon
its purpose to denounce the southern
people as violators Of the Constitution,
ballot-box suffers, prosecutors OF the
negroes, and enemies OF the national
government How can any southern
man thus DO violence to his very in
stincts? We see in every platform
adopted by the Republican party in
northern State this outcropping of bit
ter enmity to "rebels." That party
has learned nothing from experience.
II still flatters itself that it can regain
power by psndering to the prejudices
which in 1884 it vainly appealed to,
though previously to that time it had
seemed TO owe its success in presiden
tial elections to its base appeals to one
of the lowest passions of human ma
ture.
Will the people of Virginia allow th'
control of this State to pass into the
hands of men who are known to be the
allies of SHERMAN, FORAKER, FUTILE
FAIRcHnD, HALsrEAD, and the rest o
the bloody-shirt brigade? Wouldn'
that be a deplorable event to happen IL
the centennial year of the Constitution
framed by GEORGE WASHINGTON ant
his associates in the convention of 1877